Crime & Safety
Man Pleads Guilty For His Role In The Attempted Revenge Killing Of A Northeast DC Woman
A Virginia man pleaded guilty Friday to helping Tommie Lynn Dunmire attempt to kill a D.C. woman she thought had killed her adult son.
WASHINGTON, DC — John Nelson McQuillen, 65, of Norfolk, Virginia pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to assisting his longtime partner in eluding authorities after she tried to kill a woman in Northeast, according to court documents.
In March 2021, the adult son of McQuillen and his longtime partner Tommie Lynn Dunmire was murdered in Cleveland, Ohio. As the investigation into their son's death stretched into months, Dunmire began her own investigation and her mental state began to deteriorate over time, according to authorities.
McQuillen and Dunmire traveled by car on Nov. 5, 2021, to Northeast D.C., after Dunmire had erroneously identified a 30-year-old woman as the person responsible for the death of their son, according to court documents. Police say that the victim is in no way connected to the homicide in Cleveland.
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A surveillance camera captured video of Dunmire, who was wearing a brown baseball cap and vest, and carrying a box, knock on the victim's door around 9:25 p.m., on Nov. 5. Dunmire identified herself as a "UPS" delivery person with a package for the victim, according to a release.
When the victim opened the door, Durnmire fired a revolver that she was holding through a hole in the back of the box, according to authorities. Two bullets struck the victim in her abdomen. McQuillen drove Dunmire out of the area and later changed the license plates on their car.
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A short time later, Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped the vehicle in the 1400 block of Florida Avenue, Northeast. During the stop, Dunmire shot herself with the same revolver she used in the earlier shooting, according to police. Dunmire later died from the gunshot wound, according to court documents. The victim was taken to the hospital and recovered from her injuries.
Police in Virginia arrested McQuillen on March 11. He was taken to D.C., on April 5, where he was charged with accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill. His sentencing is scheduled for June
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